Middle East Conflict

The Middle East crisis has disrupted global supply chains, affecting the flow of crude oil, condensate, and LNG, as well as large quantities of urea, ammonia, sulfur, aluminum, steel, and plastics from the Persian Gulf. With shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz reduced to a trickle, hundreds of commercial vessels—including bulk carriers, tankers, and offshore support ships—along with their crews, remain trapped and under threat of attack. The situation in the Middle East continues to change by the hour and stays highly dynamic.

To give you the best possible business insights, we’ve compiled our comprehensive news, opinion, and feature coverage for quick, easy access.

Westwood: Middle East war continues to reverberate through the jackup market

12 May 2026by Teresa Wilkie

Westwood analysis shows that the ongoing war risks delays to both award timing and contract commencement for a wide tranche of jackup tenders ordered by Middle East operators in late 2025 and early 2026

Qatari LNG carriers on the move in Hormuz after first laden transit over the weekend

11 May 2026by Georgios Georgiou

First vessel through, more to follow, Pakistan’s role, and what it means for the market

IRGC claims to have seized tanker as sabre-rattling, attacks and talk of a truce continue

08 May 2026by Jamey Bergman

Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency has posted a video showing small military craft surrounding a tanker and soldiers in fatigues boarding a tanker and raising the Iranian flag

Marinakis’ CCEC says long-term charter strategy shields it from Middle East volatility

08 May 2026by Georgios Georgiou

CCEC’s LNG carriers have an average remaining contract duration of 6.9 years, representing US$2.9Bn in contracted revenues

HMM ship under tow to Dubai following explosion in Strait of Hormuz, more ships attacked

07 May 2026by Naida Hakirevic

A multipurpose carrier was hit by an engine-room explosion and subsequent fire while at anchor off the United Arab Emirates on 4 May

ADNOC could re-establish regular LNG shipments through Hormuz as second vessel transits

07 May 2026by Georgios Georgiou

Further shipments may follow, as other ADNOC-linked LNG carriers have also shown signs of potential movement

Iran says safe transit of Strait of Hormuz 'will be ensured' as Trump pauses operations, teases deal

06 May 2026by Jamey Bergman

Hours after its latest suspected attack on a commercial vessel, and US officials announcing suspensions of operations, the IRGC has said the Strait of Hormuz could reopen

QatarEnergy LNG force majeure hits more cargoes, says energy partner

06 May 2026by Jamey Bergman

Extension of dropped cargoes pushes the war-related disruption to Qatari LNG volumes into at least early July, says Italian energy company Edison

After attacks on vessels, US claims 'hundreds of ships are lining up to transit' Strait of Hormuz

05 May 2026by Jamey Bergman

US Secretary of War says "our blockade is holding and we can run ships through"

Trump proposes 'Project Freedom' to guide trapped ships through the Strait of Hormuz

04 May 2026by John Snyder

An initiative by Trump Administration seeks to free hundreds of trapped commercial ships and thousands of seafarers, but the effort would require the cooperation of Iran

Does the current chaos create opportunities for LNG shipping?

04 May 2026by Eduardo Perez Orue

Conflicts drive consolidation in maritime intelligence

30 Apr 2026by Martyn Wingrove

A French group has acquired a UK vessel tracking provider as conflicts highlight the importance of marine knowledge

UAE OPEC exit signals structural shift in Middle East crude flows

29 Apr 2026by Georgios Georgiou

Analysts point to long-term implications as Hormuz disruptions keep immediate impact limited

AIS-disabled ships tracked through satcoms, radar

29 Apr 2026by Martyn Wingrove

Vessels that turn off their automatic identification system signals can still be tracked using radiocommunications

First laden LNG carrier appears to transit Strait of Hormuz since war outbreak; Japanese VLCC follows

28 Apr 2026by Georgios Georgiou

Mubaraz appears to have transited the Strait with its signal turned off

Middle East turmoil to delay LNG supply wave by at least two years

27 Apr 2026by Georgios Georgiou

The conflict is set to result in the loss of around 120Bn m³ of cumulative LNG supply through 2030, the IEA estimates

European Commission proposes action to accelerate shift to clean energy

27 Apr 2026by David Foxwell

AccelerateEU emphasises plan for more, faster homegrown energy such as offshore wind

US intercepts three additional Iranian tankers in Indian Ocean

23 Apr 2026by Jamey Bergman

US forces have reportedly redirected ’at least’ three tankers in the Indian Ocean days after posting video showing the seizure of a sanctioned, ’stateless’ VLCC

Iran boards box ships after Strait of Hormuz strikes

23 Apr 2026by Georgios Georgiou

Two MSC-operated ships appear to have been seized by Iran

Conflicts, offshore surveys accelerate USV development

23 Apr 2026by Martyn Wingrove

Naval forces have entered an arms race to develop unmanned surface vessels at scale

Video shows US military seizure of sanctioned VLCC carrying Iranian crude

21 Apr 2026by Jamey Bergman

US forces have interdicted a sanctioned, ’stateless’ VLCC in the Indian Ocean, according to an X post by the Department of War

Video: Tensions rise after US seizes Iranian ship, peace talks uncertain

20 Apr 2026by Georgios Georgiou

A US guided-missile destroyer fired upon an Iranian box ship in the Arabian Sea

Trapped cruise ships flee through Strait of Hormuz

20 Apr 2026by John Snyder

Five cruise ships sail through the Strait of Hormuz, fleeing the Persian Gulf for repositioning for new sailings in Europe

Vessels under fire as Hormuz shuts again; peace talks timeline unclear

19 Apr 2026by Georgios Georgiou

Volatility hardly captures developments in the Strait of Hormuz since 17 April

Analysts react to Hormuz reopening statements as key questions remain

17 Apr 2026by Georgios Georgiou

Markets would be mistaken to price in a full commercial normalisation at this stage, analysts caution

Iran declares Strait of Hormuz 'completely open' for remainder of ceasefire

17 Apr 2026by Georgios Georgiou

Tehran linked the Strait’s reopening to the Israel-Lebanon ceasefire

Emergency salvage in times of conflict

16 Apr 2026by Martyn Wingrove

Explaining the challenges salvors face when responding to damaged ships in war zones

Idea floated of using cruise ships to evacuate thousands of seafarers from Gulf

15 Apr 2026by John Snyder

Cruise ships trapped by the Middle East conflict in the Persian Gulf could be used to safely evacuate thousands of stranded seafarers

Explaining the logistics of a blockade amid hopes for renewed US-Iran talks

14 Apr 2026by Georgios Georgiou

Analysts warn the situation could reshape long-standing security arrangements in Europe and the Middle East

Oil demand decline in second quarter forecast to be largest since Covid-19

14 Apr 2026by Jamey Bergman

With the US and Iran imposing blockades on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and energy infrastructure damaged by war, the International Energy Agency underscores the significance of the ’largest disruption in history’ to energy markets

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